Book excerpt: His holiness Sadguru Sri Sri Arjun, a saint from Odisha presented ‘Divya Darshan’ or the Philosophy Divine to the world in the year 1976. Born to a tribal family in the year 1933 in the hilly region of Rayagada District in Odisha and just a literate up to standard VIII, he got his enlightenment in the year 1967 and thereafter gave a very lucid and original elucidation of Truth, Consciousness, Creator and the Creation etc. He was working for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited at Sunabeda till he shed his mortal body in 1989. Divya Darshan is neither any community nor any creed, neither any bloc nor any sect. The ultimate goal of man is to become divine and realise divinity. Divya Darshan is therefore a way of life, a way to true and divine life. It belongs to none and at the same time belongs to everybody. He, who knows it, owns it. According to Divya Darshan, “Ignorance is the cause of sufferings. Ignorance breeds sins and sins cause sufferings. If you want to live, be dutiful. If you want peace and happiness, possess divine virtues. If you desire liberation, acquire self-knowledge. Love others if you yearn for good will; be truthful and humble if you want blessings; hold unto love if you want bliss; try to know your true self if you want liberation from all sufferings. God resides as all-pervasive, eternal and infinite Pure-consciousness. Possess divine qualities and realise Him to enjoy bliss. This is no life at all. To know Him who has infused life into this life is true life which is the goal of every one. To know the Law of Eternity is knowledge and observing the same is Dharma. Whatever faith or religion you may belong to, liberation is unattainable without self-knowledge. Man being absolutely divine, he should pursue divine knowledge and acquire divine virtues.” Sadguru Sri Sri Arjun asserts that even a person leading a worldly life can perform spiritual practice to realise one’s true self.